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He is currently overseeing two separate criminal investigations into a former American president, but Jack Smith is no stranger to bringing high-stakes cases. Over the past two decades, Mr Smith, 54, has pursued public officials in the US and abroad - with a mixed record of success. The veteran prosecutor has cut a low profile since his appointment as special counsel in the two investigations of Donald Trump by the US Department of Justice. In announcing his selection last November, Attorney General Merrick Garland called him "the right choice to complete these matters in an even-handed and urgent manner". Mr Trump meanwhile has characterised Mr Smith as a "deranged" man at the forefront of a "political witch hunt" against him. The special counsel has now indicted the ex-president on 40 felony counts over his alleged mishandling of classified documents. He has also charged Mr Trump separately over alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Much like the man he is now investigating, John Luman Smith is a New York native. A Harvard Law School graduate, he began his prosecutorial career in 1994 as an assistant district attorney in the Manhattan district attorney's office. FULL STORY

Summary Donald Trump has been charged with four counts after a grand jury examined his efforts to overturn the 2020 election result Charges include conspiracy to defraud the United States and an attempt to obstruct an official proceeding Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed to oversee investigations into Trump, including his involvement in the 6 January riot which occurred while Congress was certifying Joe Biden's victory Trump has been summoned to appear in court on Thursday in Washington DC before a judge He already faces charges brought by Smith's team over alleged mishandling of classified documents in Florida The former president also faces trial in New York City for falsifying business records in hush money payments to an adult film star More on this

A former Australian childcare worker has been charged with more than 1,600 offences after allegedly sexually abusing 91 children, filming it, then distributing the content online. Police allege the man preyed on young girls over a 15-year period at a dozen centres in Australia and abroad. He was arrested in August 2022, but it has taken police a year to investigate and identify alleged victims. Authorities say it is one of the most "horrific" cases they have ever seen. The 45-year-old man is facing 246 counts of rape and 673 counts of indecent assault against children - many of them in aggravated circumstances. The most serious charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. He also faces hundreds of charges for filming and distributing child abuse material. Police allege he recorded all of his abuse, and say they found 4000 images and videos on his electronic devices. The offending allegedly occurred in 10 childcare centres in Queensland, and one each in New South Wales and an unnamed overseas country. The man worked at other childcare centres, but the Australian Federal Police (AFP) says it is "highly confident" he did not offend at those centres. Speaking to media on Tuesday, AFP Assistant Commissioner Justine Gough said the case would be "deeply distressing" for the community. "It's beyond the realms of anyone's imagination, what this person did to these children. You try not to be shocked after a long period of time in the police... but this is a horrific case," she said. The 87 Australian children who were allegedly abused - some of whom are now adults - have been identified and their families contacted. FULL STORY

Government bows to pressure from industry over costs of switching over to British marking The UK will retain the EU’s product safety mark indefinitely, in the latest climbdown from proposed post-Brexit changes, after the government bowed to pressure from industry and manufacturers. The CE (Conformité Européenne) mark is used by the bloc to certify that a wide range of items – from electrical goods and construction materials to medical devices and toys – meet safety standards. The safety marking had been expected to be replaced by a new UKCA (UK Conformity Assessed) mark for goods sold in Great Britain from the end of 2024, after several extensions to the deadline for the changeover. Businesses had called on the government to extend the use of the CE mark, saying that forcing them to meet new UK rules, which would initially duplicate EU product standards, would add significant costs at a time when many have been trying to get over the disruption caused by the pandemic and stubbornly high inflation. The UKCA mark would not have been recognised in the EU, so would have been required only for goods to be sold in Great Britain. FULL STORY

Court hears it was David Hunter’s wife’s ‘wish’ to die and that her husband ‘had only feelings of love for her’ A retired British miner who suffocated his terminally ill wife in Cyprus after she “begged him to” has been released after spending nearly two years behind bars. David Hunter, 76, admitted killing Janice Hunter, 74, his spouse of 52 years, at their home near the coastal resort town of Paphos in December 2021. Ms Hunter had been suffering from blood cancer and the court was told she had “begged” her husband to end her life. Hunter was handed a two-year prison sentence on Monday but was released shortly after the sentencing, having already spent 19 months in a Cypriot prison. Speaking outside Paphos District Court after walking free, a visibly emotional Hunter told reporters: “I can’t describe it. I’m sorry. I wish I could, I wish I could find words to describe it but I can’t. “When you’re under pressure for two years, not knowing which way it’s going to go.” His daughter, Lesley Cawthorne, said she feels her “heart has been put back together” since his release, adding: “Today is the start of us being able to rebuild our lives.” FULL STORY

More than 31,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes in China’s capital Beijing in the wake of Typhoon Doksuri, which has ripped through the city and brought the strongest rainfall seen in years. Other provinces including Hebei, Tianjin and eastern Shanxi have also been inundated by heavy rainfall after the typhoon moved across northern China, the country’s meteorological administration said. The heaviest downpour was recorded in the Fangshan area which saw 500.4mm (19.7 inches) of rainfall on average, while Beijing’s overnight average rainfall clocked 140.7 mm (5.5 inches), the city’s observatory said. Authorities have warned of heavier rainfall in southern and western areas early Monday as remnants of the typhoon continue to impact the country. One of the strongest storms to batter China in years, Doksuri – which translates to Eagle – swept into China’s southern regions on Friday and caused widespread flooding over the weekend in the southern province of Fujian, forcing hundreds of thousands out of their homes. FULL STORY

Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden, gave details about calls between President Biden and his son as he testified to the House Oversight Committee about his business dealings with the younger Biden on Monday. But Republicans and Democrats were at odds over the meaning of those calls. Archer served alongside Hunter Biden on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, beginning in 2014, while the elder Biden was vice president and deeply involved in Ukraine policy. Archer is widely believed to have facilitated Hunter Biden's entry onto Burisma's board. House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer said Archer testified that the value of adding Hunter Biden to Burisma's board was "the brand" and said that the then-vice president brought the most value to "the brand." He also testified that Burisma would have gone under if not for "the brand," Comer said, adding that the elder Biden was put on the phone to sell "the brand." FULL STORY

Carlos De Oliveira, the property manager at Mar-a-Lago, made his first court appearance on Monday after being charged by the Justice Department in an alleged plot with Donald Trump and Walt Nauta, the former president’s personal aide, to illegally keep classified documents at the Palm Beach, Fla., estate. De Oliveira was charged with four counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to investigators. Appearing in federal court in Miami, he was informed of the charges against him but did not enter a plea because did not have a lawyer listed who is able to practice in Florida, where the case will be tried. He was released on a $100,000 bond pending trial, and the arraignment was rescheduled for Aug. 10. FULL STORY

Oscar-winning actor Judi Dench says that a degenerative eye condition has left her unable to read scripts or see on set. Dench, 88, told UK newspaper the Daily Mirror’s Notebook magazine on Sunday that it’s hard to learn lines with her condition. “I mean I can’t see on a film set anymore,” said Dench. “And I can’t see to read. So I can’t see much. But you know you just deal with it. Get on. It’s difficult for me if I have any length of a part. I haven’t yet found a way. Because I have so many friends who will teach me the script. But I have a photographic memory.” Dench, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Elizabeth I in the 1998 film “Shakespeare in Love,” revealed in 2012 that she had been diagnosed with the eye condition, called age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Despite these difficulties, Dench said she will try to work “as much as I can.” FULL STORY

Big, bright lunar displays will bookend August as the moon nears its closest point to Earth. When the moon reaches this position in its orbit while also appearing full, the result is a supermoon — and there will be two this month. The first of the supermoons will peak at 2:32 p.m. ET on Tuesday, which means lunar gazers in Europe, the United Kingdom, Africa and the Middle East can catch the orb glowing at its fullest in the night sky at a distance of about 222,158 miles (357,530 kilometers) from Earth, according to calculations from retired NASA astronomer Fred Espenak. For viewers in the United States, rest assured the moon will look round during the evening of August 1. Supermoons generally look brighter and bigger than other full moons because of their proximity, though it’s not always perceptible to the naked eye. This week’s full moon is also called the “sturgeon moon” because it occurs around the time of year that, historically, indigenous populations found the large freshwater fish were easily caught in the Great Lakes, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Stateside, you can best catch a glimpse of the sturgeon supermoon after sunset Tuesday, looking toward the southeast. Then, on August 30, a full moon will appear at the closest point to our planet this year — about 222,043 miles (357,344 kilometers) away — making it an elusive super blue moon. A blue moon, in common parlance, refers to a second full moon that occurs within the same calendar month, which typically happens only once every two and a half years. The most recent blue moon, for example, occurred in October 2020. The August 30 super blue moon will reach its peak at 9:36 p.m. ET, according to the almanac. The celestial orb will also be visible the night of August 31, local weather conditions allowing. FULL DETAILS

Officials from the San Francisco Department of Building Inspection on Monday morning observed that the new “X” on top of the building formerly known as Twitter’s headquarters was being dismantled, according to Patrick Hannan, the department’s spokesman. The news comes after the company was issued a notice of violation (NOV) Friday for work without a permit for the new sign, which flashes at night, that adorns the building. “Over the weekend, the Department of Building Inspection and City Planning received 24 complaints about the unpermitted structure, including concerns about its structural safety and illumination. This morning, building inspectors observed the structure being dismantled. A building permit is required to remove the structure but, due to safety concerns, the permit can be secured after the structure is taken down,” Hannan said in an email to CNN. “The property owner will be assessed fees for the unpermitted installation of the illuminated structure. The fees will be for building permits for the installation and removal of the structure, and to cover the cost of the Department of Building Inspection and the Planning Department’s investigation,” he added. CNN has reached out to the company formerly known as Twitter for comment. FULL STORY

US actor Paul Reubens, who rose to fame in the 1980s as the character Pee-wee Herman, died at 70 on Sunday after a private struggle with cancer. "Paul bravely and privately fought cancer for years with his trademark tenacity and wit," said a statement released by his estate on Monday. Reubens' iconic cult Herman character led to a TV series and multiple films. But he put aside the role for nearly 20 years after being arrested for indecent exposure in 1991 at a movie theatre. In a posthumously released statement on his Instagram account the actor spoke about keeping his diagnosis private. "Please accept my apology for not going public with what I've been facing the last six years," the statement said. "I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you." His estate added that he was an "iconic American actor, comedian, writer and producer whose beloved character Pee-wee Herman delighted generations of children and adults with his positivity, whimsy and belief in the importance of kindness". FULL STORY

Donald Trump's mounting legal troubles have not dented his status as the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. In fact, the criminal charges have strengthened his position. Why? The former US president has been indicted twice in the past four months - once in New York for alleged financial crimes and once in a federal court on charges that he mishandled sensitive government documents and obstructed an investigation. He may be on the verge of a third indictment, for attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and a fourth in Georgia for pressuring state officials to reverse his 2020 defeat there. Through this all, Mr Trump's campaign has not just continued unabated, it has thrived. An average of opinion polls from 31 July shows he has a commanding lead of 37 points over his nearest rival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. No-one else in the crowded field of 14 candidates scores over 6%, and more than half of them are not even at 1%. Back in mid-February, Mr Trump's lead over Mr DeSantis in the average of polls was just two points (41% to 39%). That turned out to be the Florida governor's high point so far, however. While his star has faded and his poll numbers have plummeted, Mr Trump's support has remained rock solid. And since the first indictment was brought in the first week of April - making Mr Trump the first former US president to face criminal charges - it has actually grown. According to the average of polls, Mr Trump has been the first choice of a majority of Republican voters ever since that first arrest and court appearance. FULL STORY

Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who has sometimes raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict over Ukraine, said on Sunday that Moscow would have to use a nuclear weapon if Kyiv's ongoing counter-offensive was a success. Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, a body chaired by President Vladimir Putin, said in a message on his official social media accounts that Russia would be forced to fall back on its own nuclear doctrine in such a scenario. "Imagine if the.. offensive, which is backed by NATO, was a success and they tore off a part of our land then we would be forced to use a nuclear weapon according to the rules of a decree from the president of Russia. "There would simply be no other option. So our enemies should pray for our warriors' (success). They are making sure that a global nuclear fire is not ignited," he said. Medvedev, who has cast himself as one of Moscow's most hawkish voices, appeared to be referring to part of Russia's nuclear doctrine which sets out that nuclear weapons can be used in response to aggression against Russia carried out using conventional weapons which threatens the existence of the Russian state. Ukraine is trying to retake territory which Russia has unilaterally annexed and declared to be part of its own territory, a move condemned by Kyiv and much of the West. FULL STORY

Next year, Americans will be required to obtain travel authorization to enter 30 countries, ending visa-free travel in Europe for U.S. citizens. The European Union announced this week a new security program that would mandate U.S. passport holders to obtain visas before traveling to any of the visa-required countries, including Spain, France and Greece. Here is everything Americans need to know. Application process Before you secure your flights to your European destination, visit the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS). The earlier you apply and are approved for the visa, the sooner it will arrive, providing peace of mind. Keep in mind that the new rules will be enforced starting in January 2024. FULL ARTICLE

A federal judge in Florida on Friday dismissed a $475 million defamation lawsuit former President Donald Trump brought against CNN that accused the network of defaming him by using the phrase “the big lie” and allegedly comparing him to Adolf Hitler. District Judge Raag Singhal, a 2019 appointee of Trump’s, said that use of the phrase or similar statements are opinion that don’t meet the standard for defamation. “CNN’s use of the phrase ‘the Big Lie’ in connection with Trump’s election challenges does not give rise to a plausible inference that Trump advocates the persecution and genocide of Jews or any other group of people. No reasonable viewer could (or should) plausibly make that reference,” Singhal wrote. “Being “Hitler-like” is not a verifiable statement of fact that would support a defamation claim,” Singhal added. The lawsuit is one of many Trump has filed against media outlets, including CNN, The New York Times and The Washington Post, objecting to coverage during his presidency and in the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election he lost to Joe Biden. Trump had accused CNN of a “campaign of dissuasion in the form of libel and slander” and of creating a “false and incendiary association” between him and Hitler. “Like Trump and CNN personalities … the Court finds Nazi references in the political discourse (made by whichever ‘side’) to be odious and repugnant,” Singhal wrote. “But bad rhetoric is not defamation when it does not include false statements of fact.” FULL STORY

The Biden White House has tried to present itself as being above the fray of day-to-day squabbles, but increasingly, it’s jumping in, bashing the GOP and other critics at every opportunity. The administration didn’t miss a chance this week to hammer Republicans over Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) floating that the House would move towards an impeachment inquiry into President Biden. They were quick with memos and statements to criticize the GOP attacks as a “clown carousel” and the idea of pursuing impeachment as “baseless.” And the White House issued a scathing rebuke of Fox New host Greg Gutfeld, who said that Jews captured and tortured during the Holocaust survived by having skills and being useful, calling out his comments as a “dangerous, extreme lie.” The new levels of punchy rhetoric preview the White House messaging strategy going into 2024, which is to fight back and call out what they consider extreme. It’s a shift from their previous attitude, which was to let what they considered to be Republican chaos speak for itself. FULL STORY

Donald Trump is facing two indictments, with the potential for more. Political wisdom may have once suggested the former president’s bid for a second White House term would be nothing but a pipe dream. But most of us know better by now. Trump is not only in a historically strong position for a nonincumbent to win the Republican nomination, but he is in a better position to win the general election than at any point during the 2020 cycle and almost at any point during the 2016 cycle. No one in Trump’s current polling position in the modern era has lost an open presidential primary that didn’t feature an incumbent. He’s pulling in more than 50% of support in the national primary polls, i.e., more than all his competitors combined. Three prior candidates in open primaries were pulling in more than half the vote in primary surveys in the second half of the calendar year before the election: Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. Bush in 2000 and Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Gore remains the only nonincumbent to win every single presidential nominating contest, while Bush and Clinton never lost their national polling advantage in their primaries. FULL ARTICLE

As the Northern Hemisphere swelters under a record-breaking summer heat wave, much further south, in the depths of winter, another terrifying climate record is being broken. Antarctic sea ice has fallen to unprecedented lows for this time of year. Every year, Antarctic sea ice shrinks to its lowest levels towards the end of February, during the continent’s summer. The sea ice then builds back up over the winter. But this year scientists have observed something different. The sea ice has not returned to anywhere near expected levels. In fact it is at the lowest levels for this time of year since records began 45 years ago. The ice is around 1.6 million square kilometers (0.6 million square miles) below the previous winter record low set in 2022, according to data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). In mid-July, Antarctica’s sea ice was 2.6 million square kilometers (1 million square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average. That is an area nearly as large as Argentina or the combined areas of Texas, California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado FULL STORY

Italy made an "improvised and atrocious" decision in joining China's Belt and Road (BRI) initiative, defence minister Guido Crosetto has said. Mr Crosetto claimed the initiative had done little to boost Italy's exports, making China the only winner. China has previously said both nations have seen "fruitful results" as a result of the BRI. Italy became the first developed economy to join the BRI in 2019 - a move criticised by its Western allies. The global investment programme envisions connecting China with Europe and beyond through rebuilding the old Silk Road trade route. Under it, China provides funding for major infrastructure projects around the world, in a bid to speed Chinese goods to markets further afield. Critics see it as a tool for China to spread influence. Both the EU and the US expressed concern when Italy decided to join the scheme four years ago. FULL STORY

At least 44 people have been killed in an explosion in Pakistan during a rally organised by an Islamist party. More than 100 people were also injured in the explosion in north-west Bajaur district, where Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) was holding a meeting. Police told the BBC that they have found evidence suggesting the explosion was a possible suicide attack. A rescue operation has been completed and all injured have been taken to hospital, officers said. Officials have warned the death toll may rise further, as 15 people are in a critical condition. The motivation behind the attack is not yet clear. Security forces have cordoned off the area and an investigation into the explosion is taking place. Hundreds of people were attending the JUI-F workers' convention on Sunday in the town of Khar, in the Pakistani tribal district of Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan. Pictures showed hundreds of people gathered under a canopy when the blast happened close to the stage. FULL STORY

China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners by threatening families back home, researchers say. Refugees and activists tell the BBC intimidating tactics are tearing communities apart. "My dearest son," said Alim's mother as she flickered into view. "I didn't think I'd see you before I died." Alim - not his real name - says he was overcome by the moment. The reunion over a video call was their first contact in six years, since he fled as a refugee to the UK. But it was bittersweet: someone else was in control of the call. Like all Uyghurs - a mostly Muslim minority from north-western China - Alim's mother lives under intense surveillance and control. They could never call each other directly. Instead, a middleman phoned Alim and his mother from two separate mobiles. He held the phone screens to face each other, so the pair could see wobbly images of each other - and hear muffled sound from the speakers. Alim says they barely spoke, and spent most of the call in tears. FULL STORY

Dnipro: Russian missiles hit apartment block and security service building At least nine people have been injured including two children after missiles hit two buildings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Dnipro, officials say. A BBC team on the ground confirmed the top floor of a large residential tower block was almost completely destroyed in the strike on Friday evening. A building belonging to Ukraine's security services (SBU) was also hit, President Volodymyr Zelensky says. He blamed "Russian missile terror". Mr Zelensky posted a video on Telegram showing smoke rising from damaged buildings and a fire at street level. He said he had convened emergency meetings with the SBU, interior ministry, emergency services and local officials following the incident.